Of The Past, And Of Dark Magics
by Tearless Wish
Summary: What if,in Edolas,the only one who was rescued from the Royal Army's clutches was Wendy? What if Natsu was left behind? It unlocks Natsu's memories of the past,with regards to his real family,and the greatest dark magician of all time,Zeref. Spoiler.
1. Chapter 1

"Their mission was changed. To 'lead the Dragon Slayers here.'

The moment Natsu heard those words, a horrid sense of foreboding made itself known to him. And when you were raised by a beast, especially one as magnificent as a dragon, you knew that you should always trust your instincts.

"Kuso!"

* * *

><p>"Bastards! Damn!"<p>

He howled, rage and agony all mixed up as he screamed his frustrations to the world. The bastards were tearing his magic away, the very essence which made him him, one of the few things which tied him to Igneel…

He could see it, feel it being drained away, sucked out of him. And it felt like an important part of himself was being ripped away, torn to shreds by the very same people who hurts his nakama. He couldn't do a single thing about it, in this horrid world of uncertainty, where magic didn't exist.

He didn't notice when the pain stopped, but he couldn't ignore the screams coming from next to him, the piercing shrieks of Wendy which cut through the haze in his head, and reminded him of just how useless he was. Damn it.

"Stop it! I'll give you her portion too! Leave her alone!"

* * *

><p>"Tell me. Surely this isn't all of the supposed Dragon Slayer's power? Say it!"<p>

Wendy bowed her head in defeat as the man in front of her continued to speak. She couldn't say it. If she told them how Dragon Slayers got their power… Natsu would…

"Say it!" The man commanded, going through the motions which would allow him to steal her magic once again.

A tear slid down her cheek as her will broke down completely. Surely… Natsu could withstand it? She just couldn't stand it anymore, this constant draining of her core… Even Natsu had fallen, silenced as he hung from the chains in the midst of unconsciousness.

_Sorry, Natsu…_

* * *

><p>Gray kicked open the door without hesitation whatsoever, concern for his nakama –dare he say it, even Natsu- coursing through his veins and fueling his actions. Charles and Lucy followed almost immediately after. They saw Wendy, lying crumpled on the floor in front of a huge rock which had the picture of a dragon painstakingly carved on it.<p>

"Wendy!" the group cried, all rushing to her side. She was unconscious, and slightly pale, but otherwise fine.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Wendy!" Charles sobbed, lying over her friend's body, tears streaming down her face.

"We better get them to take the exballs," Gray said, popping the pill into Wendy's mouth.

She coughed harshly a few times, eyes sliding open as she gazed at her nakama. "Natsu… Natsu is…" she said, her voice soft.

"What's wrong with Natsu?" Gray nearly shouted, worried for his… friend? Rival? Whatever. Now wasn't the time to think of such things. What mattered was saving him. "Where is he?"

"G-Gray…" Lucy stuttered, alarmed by the volume of his voice, and the intensity behind his words.

"Natsu… He…"

* * *

><p>Natsu's eyes weakly slid open as he returned to the conscious world again, his sight blurred by black patches that made up most of his vision. He could feel the muscle in his arms tearing, his wrists torn and bloody from the chains they tied him up with. He couldn't remember where he was…<p>

He remembered telling Wendy not to give up, sharing their hopes that their nakama would come to rescue them. Then… he said he would take her place, so long as they would stop hurting her. And… he thought he remembered Wendy apologizing.

"Awake?" the man whose name he didn't know –nor want to know- said, sneering.

He snarled. If only he could eat some fire, he was sure that his strength would return… Then he would punch this bastard's face until he turned his nakama back. His eyes widened as they met flame, the brightness momentarily blinding him.

Was he going delusional? Fire had appeared just as he wished for it… Hope started to kindle in his heart, a flickering candle which chased away the shadows of doubt. Was he finally going to be able to fight back?

"So you know what this is, ehh? Dragon Slayer," the man said, beckoning for the soldier carrying the torch to walk forward, "Too bad we do, too," he smiled greasily, eyes mere slits.

That candle was promptly doused as the soldier shoved the torch down his throat, forcing him to swallow the flames. It was more than a little uncomfortable, but it gave a slight boost to his magic, which was all gone again as quickly as it appeared, sucked away by the contraption which stole and away at his core.

His eyes showed his desperation, his frenzy, as the implications of this made its way through his brain, which processed too slowly for his liking. And the screams began anew, a spice of despair added to previously wounded howls which had had to be wrenched from a reluctant throat.

* * *

><p>"Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness. The extraction is complete for now."<p>

"Excellent work."

"The magic power of Dragon Slayer is indeed magnificent. If they consume their element, their magic power gets an instant boost. Unfortunately, one of the Dragon Slayers' –the girl's- element was air. We could not do anything about the quality of the air, but for the male it is an easy matter. With this, it won't be a problem converting _that_ into a weapon…"

* * *

><p>"In order to destroy Extalia, the Royal Army intends to crash the giant Lacrima into it! They're going to use everyone at Fairy Tail as a bomb!" Wendy said, her voice high with rampant emotions.<p>

"In Edolas, they have floating islands. I'm sure you all saw some of them, right?," Lucy explained, as she tried to make some sense of what she was hearing. "It seems like they float using Extalia's magic power. It said in the book that they control the balance of magic in this world."

"And our nakama that have been turned into Lacrima are on one of the islands?" Gray asked, arms folded in thought.

"One right next to Extalia, yes…" Charles said, her voice carefully blank. It was obvious that she was still feeling guilty about leading the group into the trap. "Right now, floating above the Royal City where we are, is Extalia and the Lacrima." She added.

"They'll hit the floating island with Dragon Slayer Magic to accelerate it, and crash it into Extalia. That's what the Royal Army is planning," Wendy said, shakily.

"What'll happen?"

The magic power of Extalia and Fairy Tail will collide, explode and fuse… They said magic power will rain down on this country for eternity…"

"If they do that, then everyone in the Guild will…"

"They'll disappear!"

* * *

><p>Natsu lay slumped against the slab of stone, wrist held up by chains which were stained red with his blood. His skin had broken, the flesh raw and bleeding. He thought maybe that the flash of white he saw when he peered up to assess the damage was bone, but he wasn't too sure. He couldn't trust his sight, not when everything was all blurred together in a jumble of colors.<p>

"Damn it…" he cursed weakly, voice hoarse from screaming.

He could feel his skin bleeding in a thousand different places, and bruises of different sizes starting to form. The Royal Army… The name roused a well of hatred and anger, a well that was steadily growing deeper and deeper.

They had apparently discovered that his magic would flare protectively whenever he got hurt, in an attempt to heal and protect him. He snorted. Fat lot of good it did. It only encouraged them, as it meant there was more magic to be drained away. He felt weak, like a cripple. And he supposed in some way he was.

It was… disgusting. He felt as if he were nothing more than a pawn, as if every move he made was futile, and he could only dance in the palm of a greater being. His pride, his ability, his magic. All that he had once believed in was what had broken him. They manipulated his ability to eat flames, extracted his magic, destroyed his pride and scattered it amidst the wind.

Where did this cynical side of him come from? He couldn't quite remember feeling like this ever before. Yet, this constant feeling of depression and worthlessness, the shroud of shame which hung around him, suppressing him... It was somehow tinged with nostalgia, as if this torment was once a constant in his life.

He couldn't remember anything about his time before Igneel. He accepted Igneel as his father, and treasured the old dragon. But now, his mind started to wander, and approached a topic that he wanted to stay far far away from. His real family.

Igneel was his father. That would never change. But even he wasn't stupid enough to believe that his human parents, the ones who had given birth to him, didn't exist. So then why had he wandered into the forest that day, that day he found Igneel? Why didn't they come looking for him?

Or maybe, they abandoned him? Left him to die in the forest because they couldn't stand looking at how utterly worthless he was? He couldn't even help himself, let alone save his nakama. His lack of ability to do anything was, in fact, helping the enemy. Would anybody want such a useless child?

And, as if a barrier in his mind had broken, a torrent of memories washed over him. Of his life before that fateful day in the forest. It left him drowning it the sea of emotions that was attached to the memories, and with each choked gasp that escaped him, his memories became just that little bit clearer.


	2. Chapter 2: The Past

_"Worthless child!" the man snarled, back handing a young boy across the face harshly._

_The two were dressed in dark robes of obviously high quality, with arcane symbols painstakingly stitched onto every surface, even the miniature buttons which were but elaborate decorations. They practically screamed to the whole world that this family had nothing less than a fortune._

_"Father, I-" the boy scrambled for word, suppressing the urge to touch his red cheek. His father's ring had broken his skin, and a drop of blood slid from the wound._

_"Silence!" the man thundered, face a mask of pure fury, "I wish not to hear your excuses! Leave!"_

_The boy ran from the room, through the hallways of his family's mansion. Tears welled within his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Why? He would work harder, he promised himself. So that his father wouldn't be ashamed of him, so that he could make him proud. He didn't want to end up like Mother, who..._

* * *

><p><em>He screamed, eyes wide with horror, as a swarm of rats, each almost twice the size of his hand, approached him. They were dirty things, wild and hungry, and they bit at each other even as they moved ever so closer to him.<em>

_His eyes were wide with fear, his limbs shaking uncontrollably as he tried to back away from the vicious army. Yet, he was already back to back with the rock wall, and his movements restrained by chains attached to his ankles._

_And then they were upon him, biting at his hair and clothes, sinking their teeth into his skin and drinking his blood like it was the finest wine. He remembered the agony, the horror which he dared not to verbalise, for fear that they would crawl down his throat, and render him apart from the inside._

_The liquid which ran from his eyes was stained a dark red, as his eye was ripped out, and devoured by the beasts. But the darkness that lurked at the edge of his vision refused to envelop him, even as the runic inscription carved onto his skin to prevent unconsciousness was ripped to pieces along with chunks of his flesh._

_His father's powers kept him here in the world of reality, where it had become a living hell._

* * *

><p><em>A tall man walked swiftly down into the dungeons, slender fingers making quick work of the locks on the door. Usually he would have just destroyed them, but they were imbued with far too much magic to waste.<em>

_Opening the door to one of the cells, he was faced head on with the overwhelming smell of blood, the scent of death hanging around like a dense fog. The corner of his lips pulled up ever so slightly, but not to the extent to which it could be called a smile._

_"F-Fa...th..er..." the pile of rags on the floor moved ever so slightly, revealing itself to be a broken child, lying in a pile of blood. Around him, were the scattered bodies of the rats he had ordered the servants to release._

_A terrifying grin spread over his handsome face, marring his features till they were almost unrecognizable when compare to the snooty aristocrat he was before. He looked exactly like a bloodthirsty, crazed beast._

_"My son," he said, acknowledging his heir for the first time. The boy indeed had remembered the teachings forcefully pounded into him by his tutors. All he needed was life-and-death situations to bring that wondrous power out. The boy had that power in him after all, as deeply hidden as it was. Now, for the first time, it had shown itself, and he couldn't be more proud._

_No child of his should ever be able to say that they were not masters of the dark magics he was so enamoured with. With that in mind, he had refused to acknowledge the wretched thing as his flesh and blood, and only kept him alive because he required a heir. Yet, when faced with such a display of the dark arts, he felt an unknown feeling creeping into the black, twisted hearts of his._

_Maybe, he thought. Maybe he understood the reason why parents bragged about their child so, even if their 'accomplishment' were just the very basics._

_"Heal him'" he said, to a figure that was half-hidden within the shadows of the room._

_"As you wish," a raspy voice anwsered, taking the battered youth into his arms._


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: This is the first time I've done this, but I really need someone to help me out with this story. :O I won't put it up for adoption, because I'm selfish, but it's not exactly progressing as much as I want it to... :( I'm afraid I've hit a dead end. . If there is someone who is willing to work on this with me, I'd be really grateful. Just send me a message :)**

* * *

><p>"You intend to aim your spear against me, the Prince of Edolas, Erza Knightwalker?" Jellal spoke, preventing Erza from facing off with her Edolas counterpart.<p>

"Prince?" Erza questioned.

"Prince you say? Don't make me laugh! I don't think of you as my son!" A voice rang, heightening the tension within the atmosphere.

"That's the voice of the king!"

"Where's he?"

"After 7 years of hiding in faraway lands, you have some nerve skulking back here! I know that you've been going around Earthland, sealing off anima! You've betrayed your country! You sold out your own kingdom!"

"Where is that voice coming from? It's like it's coming from deep inside the ground…"

"Your Anima plan was a failure. Continuing to fight would be meaningless, yes?" Jellal reasoned, trying to resolve the matter.

"Meaning? The meaning of fighting?" the king asked, crazed. The ground started to shake, glowing a malevolent green.

"What's that noise? Or wait, what is…" Gray started, unsettled by the phenomena.

"The air is trembling from magic power!" Lucy cried.

"This is not a fight. It is retaliation against those who defy the king! A one-sided extermination!" The king roared. A ball of metal appeared, emerging from the ground. Weird designs were drawn on it, not dissimilar to one of the greatest magical beasts in the world.

"No matter who stands in my way, I will eliminate them. Even you! There won't be any trace left!"

The chains that were wrapped around the chunk of metal, holding it down, fell away with a resounding clank.

"Father…"

"I am no father. I am the king of Edolas!" The metal ball spreads open, slowly, uncurling to form wings. "Yes… I'll wipe you out here, and then no one will be left to stop the anima in Earthland! I'll suck up another giant lacrima, and then fuse it with the Exceed! I can do it as many times as I want!"

"That's…" Chagot stuttered, staring at the terror of legend.

"Nothing is impossible for the king!" The king shrieked, "The king's power is absolute!"

* * *

><p>Natsu woke in a dark place. It smelled of metal, of greed and lunacy. His body was covered in wounds, his blood smeared on the floor. That damned machine was ever present, sucking away his magic and leaving him weak. Where was he this time?<p>

He sighed, the action causing a sharp pain within his lungs. It was so noisy. The place was filled with screams and cries. Was he dreaming again? It was so very like what he had been dreaming of. But he knew he was awake. And that made him open his eyes a little wider, and attempt to see.

* * *

><p>"The beast that darkens the heavens, leading to extinction… Its name is the Dragon Knight, Doroma Anim. Long, long ago, not only Edolas, but Extalia as well came very close to being wiped out. It was so dangerous, the humans should have sealed it themselves."<p>

All of a sudden, a huge crash sounded from where Doroma Anim was rampaging, the cause being a very specific two. Gajeel and Wendy. The Dragon Slayers. They weren't about to admit that they felt that something was missing when they two bore that title. Someone was missing.

"Who? Magic shouldn't work on Doroma Anim, so who is attacking me?" The king snarled, confused.

Gajeel and Wendy regrouped, facing Doroma Anim bravely. Both were worried about Natsu, though one would never admit it.

"I see! It's you fools!" The king crowed, sounding triumph, "I will capture you too!"

* * *

><p>Natsu screamed as the machine suddenly went into overdrive, whirling and humming. It had been sucking his magic the moment his body made it, leaving him drained and empty, nothing more than a container. Now, though… Now, it was so much worse. The machine depleted his magic, drawing more and more out of a battered body which had none left.<p>

What was happening? It hurt. It felt like he was being prodded by a thousand needles, slashed by multiple blades, receiving blows upon blows of damage, shredding his skin, down to his bone. And all he could think about was how much it _hurt_, and how much he wanted it to all end.

* * *

><p>Gajeel gnawed at the metal shell of Doroma Anim, eating a hole through its armor. So magic wouldn't work? He would eat through it, then. He paused suddenly, a giant chunk of metal half-eaten, and stared into the eyes of someone who they had been looking for.<p>

"Natsu?"

The boy was trapped within Doroma Anim, held down by large shackles which Gajeel doubted that he had the strength to break in his current state. A weird contraption was aimed at him, absorbing a spluttering stream of fire magic. This was what had powered the machine? They had been using Natsu's magic to power this… monster?

As he fought Doroma Anim, he had felt that there was something familiar about it. He had pinned it on the fact that Doroma Anim was, after all, modeled after a dragon. But to think that it had been Natsu…

* * *

><p>Suddenly, there was light. Natsu very much wanted to see if this was yet another of the cruel dreams that magnified his reality, or if someone had finally come. He cracked open an eye blearily, attempting to see through the dark fog which had been his world for... How long had it been now...? He heaved a weary sigh. He was just so tired...<p>

* * *

><p>Every blow the Dragon Knight received, every attack it fired, every amount of energy that he had forced it to use. It had been stolen from Natsu? He had caused the machine to continue torturing him?<p>

Guilt, a great, raging beast, welled up within him. And when they boy screamed as Doroma Anim launched an attack at Wendy, he snapped. He punched through the weaker inner walls of Doroma Anim, breaking the machine which fueled the beast. It stopped moving, it's source of energy gone.

The king's demented shrieks were easily ignored, as he stared at the pale boy. He looked so… fragile. It was a word he would never have thought would be used to describe the boy. But now, he looked as if he would break, if the wind blew too strongly.

Gajeel snarled.


	4. Chapter 4: The Past

**AN: I need someone to heeelp meee.. I can do the past chapters, and the writing itself, I just need someone to make the... Skeleton? :O Yea! Someone to think of ideas with me :3 Like, to make the basic structure, add the individual reactions...**

* * *

><p><em>Natsu giggled, waving happily. "Bye bye!"<em>

_A small group of kids laughed and waved back, running back to the village where their homes were. A blond teen looked at him. "Don't get too attached," he warned, almost kindly. He destroyed the warm visage seconds later when a psychotic grin spread across his face, revealing teeth gleaming wickedly.  
>"I may get to kill them yet,"<em>

_Natsu glared at the older male, baring his teeth in threat. "Don't you dare.."_

_His reaction seemed to amuse the other, and he broke out into chuckles, throwing his head back and howling with laughter. "Dare..? Oh, very good," he mocked, looking distinctly down at the child._

_In a sudden movement, Natsu found himself on the floor, small hands reaching to pry the other's fingers off his throat. Choking, he kicked weakly at the male loaming over him, struggling to breathe. Black spots danced across his vision, and he could feel a warm trickle of blood at the back of his head, where he had been slammed unforgivingly into the ground.  
>"L-Let.. go.."<em>

_The blond merely leaned closer, his fingers digging into Natsu's throat, his nails breaking the filmsy barrior of skin.  
>"Listen close, brat.. I won't kill you, because Master still needs your worthless hide. But never forget. No one cares about what you think. In our world, power.. strength is everything that matters. And without it, you might as well be on the same level as the scum begging for their lives in the dungeons,"<br>He snorted, letting go of Natsu abruptly before stalking off, strides long and impatient._

_Turning his head to glance at the boy clawing at the ground, finally grabbing at a tree to stand, his lip curled with disgust. Just because the boy was related with blood... Tch. He had meant every word he said before, and he knew quite well that the boy was just there because he was Master's son. A useless, good-for-nothing son, but a son nonetheless._

_Still, he would always be better than that piece of trash. And it would do the brat good to keep that in mind._

* * *

><p><em>As the other stomped his way through the forest away from him, Natsu felt perhaps a spark of vindictive glee at the thought that he would definately be punished for leaving him behind. His father would be proud. Then again, his father -as the other had accurately described- probably couldn't care less about what his useless heir thought privately in the confines of his mind. <em>_It was a small bit of mercy he was thankful for, instead of having his mind ravaged. Just like every other person who dared withhold information from his father, or simply earned his displeasure. His thoughts were the only thing that belonged to him, now._

_Moving slowly to avoid jostling his throat, although it really wouldn't have made a difference, seeing as every shuddering gasp he took to gulp in air caused the wounds to chaff and tear, he staggered back along the forest trail, thinking only of his next step. It was almost too much for his abused body, and every small shuffle forward felt like his last._

_He wondered dimly at the back of his mind, if anyone would even care if he disappeared here and rotted away, and why he was even returning to the mansion in the first place. His lips quirked upwards, a movement made in hopeless desperation, and the answer came with startling clarity. The reason why he was going back to a place where no one cared the slightest bit was simple. He had no other choice._

* * *

><p><em>He stared up at the sky, patches of sunlight dancing across his face, his eyes shaded by the shadows of the trees. Where was he? He couldn't remember. The only thing he remembered was.. His name. He was sitting down, back leaning against a tree, a light wind rustling ebony locks of hair. He saw no reason to move. He had no idea who he was, where he had come from or where he was supposed to be. What good would moving do him now?<em>

_"Who are you?"_

_He blinked, looking at the source of the distinctly childish voice, painted with just the slightest hint of innocence. The boy had hair a vibrant pink in hue, although matted slightly with mud, and felt somewhat like the warmest of seasons, like the lively scents of summer. His lips stretched upwards, and he answered simply._

_"Zeref,"_


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I am so, so, sorry, everyone! Have an important exam this year so I'm spending most of my hours in school.. . Havn't had much inspiration to write lately.. If anyone wants to take up the story or anything, just send me a PM..? I'll try my best, but to be honest, I have no idea where this will lead to, and my writing has been getting choppy and in bits and pieces lately.. T.T**

**Thank you all for sticking with me so far, though..**

* * *

><p>"Natsu," Wendy cried tearfully, looking down at the pink-haired male.<p>

He was pale, skin clammy, and just below a normal human's temperature. Natsu's temperature, seeing as he was the Fire Dragon Slayer, was usually much higher than a normal person's, practically a heat source on his own. So to see him so cold.. It was dreadfully worrying.

"Wake up, please.."

Gajeel growled. The moment the beast had collapse, so too had the male, and Gajeel had brought him out of the gigantic machine, unable to stand the sight of the shackles and infernal magic-draining machine. It was disgusting. An insult to magic itself.

Natsu hadn't so much as opened his eyes afterwards, the only movement a worrying, constant trembling. He looked.. Really bad. More than all the wounds and injuries he had come back sporting before. Because then, the brat would be wearing the infernal grin that made his injuries seem less than they were, and healed up in the blink of an eye.

They had always managed to emerge victorious, after all. Beaten and battered, maybe, but mostly intact, and victorious. He had almost come to expect the male to be completely fine after any type of adventure, even against demons and ancient magics. After all, he always ended up alright before, and irritating as it was, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Dragon Slayers were always more resistant, and a link to Metallicana, after all.

But now.. Now he wasn't too sure about that anymore.

* * *

><p>"Natsu?!"<p>

The members of Fairy Tail, both the Edolas and Earth versions, came rushing over. They had been greatly heartened when the Doroma Anim had fallen, the metallic beast that had seemed to predict their doom gone from the skies. With their hearts bolstered, against their reluctant opponents, disturbed by the absence of their commander, they had swiftly overrun the Royal Army.

"W-Wha.. What's wrong with him..?" Lucy murmured fearfully, eyes wide. The boy looked almost dead, already.

"Che," Gajeel, looked to a side, burning with shame. What could he say? That he had forced the machine to drain his magic to within an inch of his life? That they hadn't realized it was Natsu all along, and hadn't rescued him sooner?

He glared at the ground, before stomping over to the machine, unleashing his frustrations and anger at the hunk of metal. The thought of eating it to boost his power didn't cross his mind. He wanted to see the think smashed into smithereens and disappear from existence.

And speaking of disappearing from existence.. Where was the blasted king, anyways? He'd hunt him down and feast on his flesh, show him the wrath of a dragon when one of their own was damaged. Not to mention, the scum even dared to steal Natsu's magic, and declare that hunk of ill-powered trash a 'dragon'?

Gajeel let a cold, wretched, unfeeling smile spread across his face as he cackled malevolently, darkly._ He would pay._

* * *

><p>Jellal landed on the ground softly, with barely a sound as his feet tapped lightly on the dirt. Watching with liquid eyes as the defeated King of Edolas snapped out of his shock and looked around, face twisting into a mask of desperation and hatred, he felt himself sadden.<p>

But the withered old man either didn't hear him, or chose to ignore him, for he didn't respond. Dragging himself out of the destroyed Doroma Anim, away from those dastardly Dragon Slayers who had ruined his plans, the king crawled away slowly, towards the city, as desperation shone in his eyes with an unholy light.

Jellal didn't -couldn't- do anything to stop his birth father, and he watched, heart wrenching itself to pieces with every piece of rubble and destruction he could see, and every shuddering breath his father took. "Father.."

* * *

><p>The king had managed to crawl, dragging himself across the mud like a worm, like the trash he was, to the outskirts of the city. Granted, it wasn't far -and Gajeel didn't want to move too far away from Natsu, either- but Gajeel grudgingly admitted that the man's desperation had lent him a strength his aged bones could never have achieved on its own. But his inpromptu crusade would end here.<p>

_"Iron Dragon's Sword,"_

* * *

><p>Natsu was floating. In a place where dark whispers accosted and twisted his mind, and what seemed to be memories drifted around and brushed against him with phantom feelings of pain. Or was he truly injured and hurting..? He didn't know anymore. But the recollections wouldn't leave him alone, and something important was missing, just out of his grasp..<p>

* * *

><p>All of a sudden, a large blur came crashing onto the ground, narrowly missing the king of Edolas as Jellal abruptly jerked him out of the way. The already unstable ground weakened further, pieces of debris flying loose into the air from the force of the assault.<p>

"..?!"

"What are you doing, Gajeel?!" He shouted, at the attacking blur, as the Dragon Slayer swung an arm-turned-sword at the king again. Jellal slid in front of his father, wincing slightly as the full weight of Gajeel's attack came crashing down on the staff he had hurriedly raised to block it.

"I'll kill him," the black-haired teen hissed, animalistic, "I'll kill that piece of trash,"

In retrospect, the King probably deserved an execution, and more, perhaps. But.. Even after everything he had said and done.. He was still his birth father. His family. And from his time in Fairy Tail, even before then, he had learnt in his travels.. That family was important. Was something you should be able to fall back on.

"I won't let you,"

* * *

><p>Pantherlily looked on as Jellal fought for his father, an odd smile taking over his face. They had argued over who would be the villain, the one who embodied magic and wrecked chaos, so as for a savior to appear, and lead the people to a future without magic. But this.. This would work.<p>

From where he was, he could see the people in town. He could see them in chaos and fear, as Gajeel attacked their king viciously without restrain, held back by a simple wooden staff. Jellal would be the saviour. The one who defeated the 'evil' magic. Nodding to himself, as the Anima went into full drive, and magic started to disappear, he allowed himself some final words to the prince, even if the other might not even have heard him.

A singular moment of weakness. Jellal would stay here on Edolas, leading the people to a future world. He was the lost prince, appearing to save his father from the hands of the magic-users who wished for his blood. Jellal would be a hero. And himself, all the Exceeds, all the people who had magic within themselves.. They would be sucked away, and back to Earthland.

_Jellal, this is goodbye.._

* * *

><p>"Woah..?!"<p>

"What's going on..?"

Startled exclamations and discontented ramblings could be heard, tinted with fear, as the members of Fairy Tail started to rise into the air, along with the countless of Exceeds who had been freed from their Lacrima form. Gray looked down at the Earth. This was.. They were going back. Back to their Guild.

"Natsu..!" He grabbed at the male who was floating just some distance away from him, eyes still shut and looking to have gotten even worse since a few moments ago. Gray cursed, glaring half-heartedly down at the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Guilty, he averted his eyes, unable to stand staring at the usually vibrant face -even in sleep- so pale and still. "You better wake up soon, idiot..."

Then the world was white.


	6. Chapter 6: The Past

"_Zeref?" Natsu scoffed. "That's a weird name,"_

_Said boy just shrugged uncaringly, a placid smile set on his lips. "A name is just that – a name. How weird can it be?"_

_Natsu blinked. The stranger was just as weird as his name was. Wasn't he even the slightest bit angry at what he had just said..? Curiosity peaked dangerously, and he indulged in it for just a moment._

_"Soo.. What are you doing here?" Natsu asked, crouching down and tilting his head to a side. This wasn't exactly a forest someone would go into for a walk, and it really didn't seem all that comfortable sitting on the ground like that. It was dirty!_

_"Hmm.." the other hummed, and Natsu was struck by the sudden urge to see just what it would take to make the boy stop with that infernal smile, "That's a good question," Zeref acknowledged, and Natsu blinked. Huh?_

_"Unfortunately... I don't have a good answer to your question," Zeref seemed genuinely sad, and Natsu felt something odd churning within him. This guy.. Seriously.. What a weirdo...!_

_"You see…" the boy continued, unhindered by Natsu's rapid change and not-so-hidden emotions that were in fact –utterly amusing- blaringly loud, "I don't know myself. I can't remember."_

* * *

><p><em>Natsu had gone home afterwards, expecting to never see the weird boy again. He had his fun at watching his handler's punishment for going home without him, baring his teeth in animalistic glee as the blonde that loved to mock him howled in pain.<em>

_Oh, he would pay for it later, probably, in a way that would hurt and wound, but not permanently damage, because that was against the rules. Anything else was fair game, though. And there were a lot of things one could do without leaving even scars. He would know._

_So he had gone back home and enjoyed his cold morsel of revenge, hanging onto it even after he had been punished as well, and never expected to see Zeref again. He should have known better, since expectations never had ended up well before._

* * *

><p><em>"Natsu," A small hum coming from his right in a vague semblance of his name made said boy jolt, turning in surprise to find Zeref.<em>

_"Zeref?!" he couldn't stop the shock from coloring his tone. The boy was exactly where he had left him the last time, leaning against the same tree, still looking up leisurely at the sky, as if he had al the time in the world._

_"Did you even move at all from yesterday?" Natsu couldn't help but ask inquisitively, drawn back towards the boy again in spite of everything. This really wasn't healthy at all, this curiosity…_

_"I don't know. Did I? I don't think so.. Perhaps not?"_

_As usual, Zeref's answers didn't help at all, much less make sense. He sighed, resisting the urge to slam his head against a tree. This was annoying!_

_He sat down on the ground beside Zeref irritably, uncaring about the dirt today. It didn't matter today. Yesterday's revenge had been sweet, but then he should have known his handler wouldn't have let it slide without evening the score._

_"You're injured? Damaged?" Zeref asked, eyes flicking to rake over Natsu's disgruntled form._

_"Yeah, so?" Said boy asked sullenly, a little bit miffed. Damaged? Who said that about another person? He wasn't an item! Not that he wasn't used to being treated as such, but still. Why would he care, anyways?_

_His answer came in the form of magic that ran over him suddenly, leaving goosebumps over his skin as his wounds closed, and the blood cleared. The tree Zeref had been leaning against wilted, along with the grass and flowers surrounding the pair._

_Natsu gaped. "Z-Zeref.. That's.. That's black magic..!"_

_Questions raced through Natsu's mind, suspicion tainting his thoughts. Zeref… Was a Dark mage? Was he one of his father's men? One of his men's kids?! What-_

_Zeref's soft, unaffected voice cut through his musings and doubts, the boy staring down at his own hands disinterestedly, "I suppose it is,"_

_And as usual, Zeref's answers didn't help at all, much less make any sense whatsoever._

* * *

><p><em>Since then, he had been meeting with Zeref much more frequently. It was odd. He always found him in the same spot, among the now-withered vegetation, and leaning against the same tree. Didn't he move at all? Sheesh.<em>

_He had learned a few things since then. One was that this curiosity of his was going to get him into trouble one day, because he had now even taken to sneaking out of the house to get to this spot –that was becoming so familiar- to meet with the weirdo._

_Another was that Zeref __**was** a weirdo, proven by everything he did. He really was. Weird, that is._

_Another was that Zeref apparently didn't remember anything, but he was a very good mage. One of the darkest ones he had ever seen, but still a good mage. It was irritating. Very irritating. Especially when said mage didn't seem to care at all._

_Yet another was that Zeref apparently didn't need to eat. And he was not hungry. Which just contributed to the fact that he was a weirdo, but Natsu supposed that explained how he could stay there forever and not move. And no, he was not stuck, because he had gotten up before. He chose to just lie there on purpose. See? Weird._

_But the one thing he learned, that was etched sorely and firmly in his head, was that keeping secrets from his handler would never last for long. Keeping secrets against his father was even worst._

_It __**never** worked out. Never. And this was driven home not too long after the 18th time he had snuck out._


End file.
